Spotlight
When Beverley and John Perdue decided to renovate an old commercial building from 1917 in downtown Kingsport, Tennessee, and make it into a loft-style living space they would use to transition into retirement, they knew they had their work cut out for them. With 3000 sq. ft. to remodel, how much they would end up spending was a major concern. "We first heard about DirectBuy through TV commercials and then did our own research online," said Beverley. "We could see this was an opportunity to save money on our project, and we made our ultimate decision to join at the Open House due to the wide variety of manufacturers and styles available as well as on some price comparisons."
Shopping with DirectBuy certainly gave the Perdues more options than they would have had in local retail stores. "We had planned a modern theme for our loft, but we live in a relatively small southern city so the modern options available to us were limited," said John. "What DirectBuy provided was a much wider variety of modern choices than we would have had readily available to us otherwise."
Completed in January 2010, the project took a total of two and a half years from conception to completion. In that time, the Perdues saved approximately $30,000, seeing as much as 50% savings on some items and upgrading to higher-quality on others. Their purchases included: stainless steel appliances, countertops, doors, decorative pieces, indoor and outdoor furniture, rugs, 3000 sq. ft. of bamboo flooring, and more. "We could not have bought all the things we did without DirectBuy, we couldn't have afforded to," said Beverley. "We chose to upgrade a number of items, including a jetted tub, a gas stove, and leather furniture for our sunroom."
"John and I feel that the folks at DirectBuy were our partners in making our project successful, and we consider them to be friends," said Beverley. "They really cared about our satisfaction and insured that we were happy." The staff of Northeast Tennessee feels the same way about the Perdues. "Beverley and John were such fun members to work with and help!" said Sandra McGaha, the club's Interior Designer. "Their excitement about their purchases and savings from DirectBuy are contagious."
What's next for Beverley and John? "We don't have any other renovation projects in mind right now," said Beverley. "We plan to enjoy our recently completed home for a while." But the staff at DirectBuy of Northeast Tennessee still expects to see Beverley in the club often. Not only has she volunteered to work as their receptionist on occasion, but she even told Owner Taylor that "It's always fun to go to DirectBuy, it's my "fix" – when I come in to see the staff, it always brightens my day."
John and Beverley Perdue